Willifrank Ochsner

Wilhelm-Francis Ochsner

Nickname	"Willifrank"
Born	31 March 1899 Munich
Died	5 December 1990(1990-12-05) (aged 91) Marquartstein
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918) Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1915–1945
Rank	Generalleutnant
Commands held	31. Infanterie-Division
Battles/wars	World War I World War II Battle of France Invasion of Yugoslavia Operation Barbarossa Battle of Kiev (1941) Battle of Moscow Operation Bagration
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Wilhelm-Francis "Willifrank" Ochsner (31 March 1899 – 5 December 1990) was a highly decorated Generalleutnant in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded several divisions. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Wilhelm-Francis Ochsner was captured by Soviet troops on 6 June 1944 during Operation Bagration. In 1947 he was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment for war crimes committed against the Soviet Union. He was released in 1955.

Awards and decorations

Iron Cross (1914)
- 2nd Class
- 1st Class
Cross of Honor
Iron Cross (1939)
- 2nd Class
- 1st Class
Eastern Front Medal
German Cross in Gold (30 May 1942)
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
- Knight's Cross on 18 January 1944 as Oberst and commander of 31. Infanterie-Division ^[1]

References

Citations

^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 268.

Bibliography

Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945. Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
Scherzer, Veit (2007). Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.

External links

Military offices
Preceded by Oberst Kurt Moehring	Commander of 31. Infanterie-Division 25 September 1943 – June 1944	Succeeded by Oberst Ernst König

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross recipients of the 31st Infantry Division

Stab	Gerhard Berthold Willifrank Ochsner

Infanterie/Grenadier-Regiment 12	Gerhard Bruchmann Ernst König (Oak Leaves) Wilhelm Preussler Martin Wandersleb

Infanterie/Grenadier-Regiment 17	Wilhelm Ahrens Otto Chowanetz Joachim von Stolzmann

Infanterie/Grenadier-Regiment 82	Wilhelm Busse Friedrich Hoßbach¹ (Oak Leaves) Wilhelm Kirschenmann Wilhelm Lasse Gerhard Lemke Heinrich Lodtka Kurt Möhring Hugo Schwede Simon Sturm Walther Wallowitz Eberhard Wolfram

Panzerjäger-Abteilung 31	Albert Ahrens

Divisions-Füsilier-Bataillon 31	Harald Scheuermann

Pionier-Bataillon 31	Hugo Deventer Helmut Kalbitz² (Oak Leaves)

¹ Oak Leaves with LVI Panzer Corps) ² Knight’s Cross with Pionier-Bataillon 125 (125th Infantry Division).

Persondata
Name	Ochsner, Willifrank
Alternative names	Ochsner, Wilhelm-Francis
Short description	German General and Knight's Cross recipient
Date of birth	15 February 1895
Place of birth	Munich, Germany
Date of death	27 March 1960
Place of death	Marquartstein, Germany